I'm faster and stronger now
by shimo hyozan
Summary: Takahashi Ryousuke has a weakness-a girl he didn't declare his love to before...now it affects his performance as a street racer. Will he try to get her back to be part of his life? (note: I do not own Initial D, 'kay? oh and PLEASE REVIEW!thanks)
1. the mystery girl

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
[Author's note: hey...this is the first time I wrote a story about a manga/anime so I'm so sorry if I did the standard disclaimer thing all wrong. I do not own Initial D. it is the sole property of avex mode. So this includes the characters. But I DO own Yuki Kazama and Kadsukai...um...I'm a bit obsessed over initial D so this inspired me to write this...I have a bit of knowledge on cars and Initial D but if I got a part all wrong, I would like to apologize for it...SORRY! gomenasai! bows anyway, on with the story! Pls. review! enjoy and thanks so much!!! ]  
  
Chapter 01- the mystery girl  
  
The white FC had just stopped before the stoplight. Waiting for the light to change, The White Comet of Akagi also known as Takahashi Ryousuke, laid his head back on his headrest. The usual practices of the Kengai Racing team had just ended and this left him exhausted. Teaching key points, talking to his team members and showing how it is to be done was Takahashi Ryousuke's purpose in this team. He did this from Monday to Saturday so the only day-off of the whole team would be Saturday evening and the whole Sunday. Now, it is 7:00pm of Saturday and he was very, very glad that it finally came to this day.  
  
The light changed and Ryousuke zoomed off. Since it is his night off, he can do whatever pleases him. But he really didn't want to do anything much at the moment. He had already eaten his dinner with some of his team members, to name just few, his brother Keisuke, Takumi Fujiwara and Takeshi Nakazato, so he decided to just get a coffee. Since he was alone, he'll just get a one at a nearby vending machine. He scanned the sidewalks for one. After countless searches, he finally found one. He neatly parked beside it and got out to make his purchase.  
  
Upon picking up his drink and opening it, he looked around him. A group of people was stepping in a nearby restaurant; a lot of people were walking around the sidewalk, some girls were excitedly talking to each other and giggling when they caught sight of Ryousuke. Him, being a well-known personality in the racing world before and up to now, was very used to this kind of thing. Compared to the galleries that Keisuke and himself attracted before, this was nothing. [a/n: galleries-similar to spectators, they watch car races or 'battles']  
  
With the various sights seen everywhere, he thought to himself 'so, this is the youth today. I got too absorbed with my computer and street racing that I never really got the chance to live out my social life...well...I DO socialize with my team members, so I guess that should do it.' He returned back to his car and just sat down. He was merely letting his eyes wander around the crowd in front of him when he saw someone oddly familiar. He focused his eyes on the person then he muttered out  
  
'it can't be her...' 


	2. can’t stop thinking ‘bout you

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 02- can't stop thinking 'bout you

Ryousuke stared at the girl even longer, just to clarify what he was seeing. The girl, who was buying something at the stall near the vending machine, had long straight black hair. She was wearing black pants and a white spag strap. ' Please turn around' Ryousuke whispered to himself and as though the girl heard him, she turned around and walked opposite the direction he was facing. He got a good look of the girl then a question popped in his head: 'could that be Yuki-chan?'

With this thought in his head and an empty can of coffee sitting abandoned in his hand, he started heading towards his home in Akagi for some shut-eye.

The next morning

Ryousuke awoke the following morning, still pondering on the thoughts he had the previous night. He stood up, stretched a bit and fixed up his bed. He then proceeded to his bathroom for a shower. After which, he dressed up. While doing so, he looked out at his window, the sun hasn't risen yet so he glanced at his watch: 5:02am.

He went down the stairs and got his car keys. He stepped out of his home and in his FC and started his engine. He decided to head to Akagi Mountain and perhaps later on, Akina. 'I can't stop thinking about that girl' Ryousuke thought as drove towards the mountain.

At this very same moment, his younger brother, Keisuke, also woke up. He remembered he had to ask his brother something so he approached his room. He knocked and received no answer. He opened the door and found a deserted room. 'That's weird…' Keisuke thought as he absentmindedly went down to their garage. He noticed that his Aniki's car was missing. 'okay… no wonder…must've gone driving around…' so he left this matter alone and went inside for a shower.

While all this was happening in Akagi, nothing special was happening at Akina, except if you counted the usual morning delivery Takumi Fujiwara does everyday. Though he had his own job at his local moving company, he is still living in his father's tofu shop which doubles as their home and he still does the morning deliveries for his father at the hotel at the base of Akina mountain.

'Well then…I'm off…' Takumi said as he was handed the paper cup filled with water.

'mmm…' his father mumbled.

Takumi sighed as he stepped on the clutch. He shifted to first gear and stepped on the acceleration while slowly releasing the heavy clutch. He then headed for Akina mountain.

later on

Ryousuke was now at Akina's peak. He had just arrived a few minutes ago and decided to rest for a while. His thoughts were still on the girl he saw the previous night. He was drifting downhill when he asked himself 'I really wonder if that was Yuki…' His physical mind was doing the driving while his RIGHT mind (the smart-ass mind) was on the girl. He DID physically notice that a panda trueno was climbing the slopes but his right mind was way TOO distracted. At one split second that their cars met, the White FC missed the panda trueno by 3cm flat. The two cars continued on their way as if nothing happened.


	3. the postponed gathering

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 03- the postponed gathering  
  
the next day It was Monday evening and there was a gathering at Akina's peak. The Kengai Racing Team had assembled here an hour ago, which means they were almost complete. This team, comprised of a number of skilled and talented street racers, is all under the teaching and supervision of Takahashi Ryousuke. Most of the members here had already battled Takumi and his beloved Panda trueno, more commonly known as Hatchi-roku, before. The list includes Shingo and his Red EG6 (civic hatchback), Mako with blue Sil-eighty and Sayuki, who doesn't have her car yet (Ryousuke saw a promising talent in her so he suggested for her to get her own car and drive), Kenta with his orange S14 and (would you believe?) Wataru and his White turbo-charged Hatchi-roku. Takumi was looking around when he caught sight of Kazumi (Wataru's younger sister) talking to Mako and Sayuki so he decided to join their conversation for he himself was wondering when will Sayuki's car arrive and why was Kazumi there.  
"So Kazumi, what brings you here?" Mako asked.  
"Well, since I have a 2-week vacation from work, my Aniki told me that I could watch the practices here...so, here I am..." Kazumi answered.  
"Oh...okay...but what will you do here?" Sayuki asked  
"Nothing much...just hang around. I have to wait till my car arrives..."  
"You bought your own car???" Mako said in disbelief  
"Yup! Now Sayuki and I are in the same boat, only I'm not in the team...yet..."  
"Hmph...I think the easiest way for you to be included is to practice hard...then if your lucky enough, Ryousuke might recruit you himself..." Sayuki said  
"Or you could ask Ryousuke yourself..." said Takumi from behind them. The three girls jumped as they heard Takumi's voice and they spun around to face him.  
"Uh...Ta-Tak-Taku...I mean...Takumi! What're you doing here???" Sayuki asked nervously  
"Why? You don't want me here? I could always go someplace else..."  
"NO! its not that!!! We...I didn't mean that!!! You can join us!!!"  
"Well then, okay..." Takumi answered  
"Wait...Takumi, may we borrow Sayuki for a minute? Thanks!" Mako said as she pulled Sayuki to a corner. Kazumi followed shortly, leaving a nonchalant Takumi there.  
"What's wrong with you? Haven't gone over this little 'crush-thing' you have for Takumi? Mako asked Sayuki.  
"eh..." Sayuki said, poking her two forefingers together nervously, then she nodded, slightly defeated.  
"aw, c'mon Sayuki!!!! It's been how many years already!!! You have to eventually tell him or grow up!!!"  
"uh...I think I'll grow up instead..."  
"Okay then, stop acting stupid in front of Takumi!" Mako said.  
"Right...okay..." Sayuki said, with a determined look on her face. The 2 girls approached Takumi and started to carry out another conversation, leaving Kazumi saying "right...and THAT helped a lot..." as she approached the group.  
  
At this very same moment, the sound of a 350hp engine could be heard climbing up the mountain.  
"Keisuke's here..." Takumi said as everyone else turned his or her attention towards the sound. The constant revving and shifting of gears grew louder and louder and eventually, the yellow RX-7 FD came into everyone's view. Members of the team came close at their own pace as the FD came to a stop. Keisuke Takahashi stepped out of his car in a relaxed and leisure manner and stood beside his car. He turned his attention towards the crowd and spoke out:  
"Practices today shall be postponed for my Aniki is not feeling well and therefore, won't be able to make it today. So, you can just practice up and down the mountain as for today. That will be all...and Takumi..." he turned his attention to Takumi. "Could you come here, I have to speak to you"  
  
The crowd parted, each saying in disbelief "Ryousuke Takahashi, ill???" Takumi, however, walked towards Keisuke to ask him the reason why, for he was wondering himself.  
  
"Your Aniki's ill?" Takumi asked Keisuke when he reached him.  
"uh...not really Takumi. You see, believe it or not, I can't find him" Keisuke said  
"what? What do you mean? Can't you call or something?" Takumi asked "I've tried several times but he never answered any of my calls" "oh so that's why..." "say Takumi, yesterday...he left and he was out the WHOLE day...you didn't see hi—" "WAIT!!!" Takumi cut him off. "I remember now!!! I DID see him...early in the morning while I was making the delivery..." "you still make deliveries in the morning???" Keisuke asked in a monotone and with an astonished look seen on his face "yeah...still stuck with my Dad...anyway, as I was saying...we sort of met...I was climbing Akina, he was going downhill..." "so you met..." "fine...so we did...and your brother was strange yesterday, he missed me by 3cm flat..." "That's nothing new..." Keisuke mumbled out "That's not the weird part...his driving style WAS weird..." Takumi prompted "huh?" "Its unusual for your brother to go downhill on 4th gear, right?" "Yeah...He ALWAYS does it on 3rd..." "and his drift was...I'm sorry for speaking ill of your brother, but it was awful...it was like he wasn't concentrating on driving at all..."  
"Wow...THAT is weird..." Keisuke commented  
"Keisuke, would you happen to know if your brother has a weakness?" Takumi suddenly asked.  
"What? My Aniki? A weakness?? gimme a break..." Keisuke said  
"But Keisuke, EVERYONE has one...you have one, I ALSO have one, everyone on our team has one..."  
"You're right...but I've NEVER seen my Aniki weak...ever..." Keisuke said without doubt  
"HE should have one, even though he's all that he is, he SURELY has one. Perhaps he's just very good in concealing and preventing it from weakening himself." Takumi said.  
  
A few moments pass...then  
  
"So...what do you suggest?" Keisuke said Takumi thought hard. His companion noticed this and thought for himself 'I wonder since when did HE learn to think that way...' His thoughts were interrupted when Takumi suddenly spoke  
"I think a bit of heavy observation should do it..."  
"Observation? Okay, that's easy enough" Keisuke replied  
"Now that's settled, I guess I'll go now..." Takumi said as he turned to leave  
"Takumi," Keisuke called out. Takumi turned to face him once more "don't tell any of our team members about this, okay? I don't want them to know..."  
"okay..."  
"One more thing...since when did you learn to think like that?"  
"When?" Takumi said as he scratched his cheek with his finger. "Maybe since I was one of the earliest under your brother's teaching and supervision, I must've acquired his thinking skills..."  
'great...just what we need...another brainy thinker' Keisuke thought to himself then he said "okay, bye then" Takumi nodded and they both went to their respective cars and drove downhill. 


	4. i finally met you

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 04- I finally met you  
  
It was now 8:30pm and Ryousuke had just finished eating his dinner. He was driving around Akina when he said, "I need to fill up" when he caught sight of his gas scale. So he proceeded to the GS gas station (where Takumi used to work) to get some gas.  
  
He parked and rolled down his window. "High octane...fill it up," he said as someone came forth. He still thought of the girl. 'I have to see her again' he thought to himself. He pictured the girl's face once again. 'It's HIGHLY possible that it could be Yuki...I must ask her...' his thoughts were interrupted when the server cleared his throat. He snapped back to reality then paid. After which, he zoomed off back to where he last saw the girl, silently hoping that she'll be there again.  
  
He arrived shortly and like before, parked beside the vending machine. He got out and purchased a coffee. He casually leaned on his FC, quietly sipping his drink. He was looking around him for any sign of the girl but sadly, she was nowhere to be seen. Concluding that she didn't show up, he decided to get in his car and drive back home when suddenly, someone called him from behind  
"Ryousuke-san?" the voice said Ryousuke turned around and nearly fell over yet he remained his composure. Before him stood the girl he had been thinking of for the past few days. He smiled then questioned her back "Yuki-chan?" The girl nodded and she ran over to him to give him a hug. This was followed by a kiss over the cheek that nearly knocked the can of coffee right off Ryousuke's hand. "Ryousuke-san! It's been so long!!!" Yuki said happily. "yeah I know...around 6 years already..." said Ryousuke. He continued on, saying, "what are you doing here in Akina?" "oh...I'm just visiting my Aunt and Uncle here for a few weeks..." "oh...I see. Where are you staying? With them?" asked Ryousuke "yup...I'm just doing some errands for them...which reminds me, I have to be getting home..." she said, glancing at her watch. "oh...I see. Hey, do you have a ride home? Maybe I can offer you one..." he said, looking at his FC. "really? gee...Arigato, Ryousuke-san!" she said and she continued on "wow! That's your car?" when she caught sight of his car. "yeah...it really is mine" Ryousuke said as leading her in.  
  
Later on, they were driving down the street.  
"your car's really nice" Yuki commented.  
"I can see that you're bit of a car enthusiast, Yuki. Since when?" Ryousuke asked.  
"uh...I dunno...4 years ago, perhaps. You wanna try me?" Yuki said excitedly  
"okay then...describe on my car," Ryousuke said  
"okay...fine, get ready then. Your car is a Mazda RX-7 FC, which has a FR layout. By the sound that it produces, I can say that you have a rotary engine under your hood which produces around...um... 270hp at most." Yuki said. Then she commented, "that's pretty low. I expected for this to have around 300hp at the most"  
"woah...slow down Yuki. First, you're VERY good, you got everything correct and yes, I HAD 300hp at the most BEFORE...but lowered it to improve my corner exiting speed"  
"drift...you also drift? Where do you drive around?" Yuki questioned  
"mountain passes"  
"is it hard driving there?"  
"not really if your used to—" then he stopped "say, do you also drive?"  
Yuki could only nod  
"wait...this is getting confusing. What do you do in your hometown?"  
"hehe...uh...actually...I'm a street racer..." Yuki said quietly "...by the name blue ice"  
"blue ice..." then it hit him. "YOU'RE blue ice of Tokyo?!?" he said, surprised  
Yuki nodded shyly at him  
"that's unbelievable. My friend, Kazama Yuki, is ALSO blue ice of Tokyo..."  
"you're weird Ryousuke...how about this, my good friend, Takahashi Ryousuke, is the lone white comet of Akagi..."  
They both laughed at each other.  
"right again Yuki! But I'm afraid I'm not 'lone' anymore and definitely not the fastest around here anymore"  
"how come?"  
"first, I'm not lone anymore because Keisuke drives already so we're commonly known as the— "  
"the Takahashi brothers, how could I forget?" Yuki cut him off.  
"yup. And I'm not the fastest anymore because someone is already faster than me. He beat my fastest consecutive record and I lost to him in Akina's downhill"  
"oh...if so, what car does he drive?"  
"you wouldn't believe this, but he drives a Hatchi-roku"  
"an 86? He must be very skilled...who is he?"  
"Fujiwara Takumi"  
"Fujiwara...how come that name rings a bell? Ah! Of course! Takumi!!!"  
"uh...how do you know Takumi?"  
"does his family own a tofu shop?"  
"yeah...but how—"  
"we were neighbors before...before my family moved to Tokyo...and I used to play with Takumi!!!"  
"oh...okay. Its such a small world, isn't it?" Ryousuke said  
"yup...it sure is. But I can't believe that he drives, yet alone faster than you." Yuki said.  
"well, you'd better believe it. Um, Yuki, where do we turn?" Ryousuke asked  
"oh, oh! wait! Turn right here!" Yuki directed him  
  
In a few minutes time, they were parked in front of a 4-storey high apartment.  
"well...thanks again Ryousuke-san" Yuki said  
"Your welcome Yuki-chan" then he asked, "you want to meet up with me sometime? Go around Akina or something?"  
"sure, I'd like that very much. Oh...here's the home phone number. Call me whenever you like" and she handed Ryousuke a piece of paper. She smiled at him and bid him goodbye. Ryousuke bid her also goodbye then sat there, speechless. Then he smiled, happy for numerous reasons, mainly that his assumption was correct. With a smile plastered upon his face, he started heading for home. 


	5. clues

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 05- clues  
  
Takumi had nothing much to do so he stopped by the GS gas station to hang around for a while. His former manager saw him and asked "Takumi? Don't you have practices today?"  
"nope, its been postponed for Ryousuke's...um...ill"  
"Takashi Ryousuke, ill? But that's impossible! I served him here when he stopped by for some gas at around 8:30pm"  
"huh? Manager, are you sure???" Takumi insisted  
"sure as sure...cause White FC=Takahashi Ryousuke"  
"did you notice anything strange about him?"  
"strange? um...now that you mentioned it, he DID seem unusual...he had this blank stare and was a bit...off....didn't focus too much"  
"oh...okay. Thank you, manager" Takumi said. He decided to call Keisuke and tell him about it when someone honked. He turned around and saw Iketani & Kenji hurry to him  
"Takumi" Iketani called out  
"Sempai, what brings you here?"  
"never mind that. I don't know what's going on but we saw a White FC..."  
"don't tell me...Takahashi Ryousuke?"  
"exactly, and believe it or not, he had a girl beside him"  
"what??? Are you sure sempai???"  
"yup...positive..." Iketani said  
"it looks like he's been doing this since yesterday. I also saw him by a vending machine...like he was waiting for someone..." Kenji added  
"What is going on, Takumi?" they all asked Takumi hesitated a bit but then said "okay, since you're not in the team, I'll tell you..." and he told them what Keisuke told him earlier.  
"you know what Takumi..." Iketani said after Takumi finished storytelling "I think Ryousuke's lovesick..."  
"yeah...I think so too, Sempai" Takumi said  
"look, all the clues all lead to signs of lovesickness: blank stare, no focus of mind...then all of a sudden we see him with a girl already."  
"yup...I know"  
"so what're you going to do now? You MUST save him...for his sake AND reputation" Kenji asked  
"um...I think I'll notify Keisuke first, THEN I'll think of something..." Takumi said as he proceeded to the phone booth. He dialed the Takahashi's home phone number then...  
"Takahashi Residence, Keisuke speaking" Keisuke said on the other line  
"Keisuke? It's me, Takumi. Listen, I have news about your brother...shocking ones..." Takumi replied  
"huh? What is it, Takumi?  
"well...I THINK that he's...um...lovesick...and—" Takumi was cut off by the sound of something heavy dropping on the floor  
"uh...Keisuke? You still there? are you still alive?"  
"my Aniki's...lovesick..." Keisuke choked out  
"but its ONLY a thought, though I haven't seen it myself, but Iketani and Kenji sempai...and the manager, they all saw him...and according to them, he seemed strange...and when we processed all the data, I came up with that output...there were signs..."  
"like what?"  
"blank stare, out of focus...stuff like that" Takumi replied  
"can't you think of something to cure it?" Keisuke asked  
"not at the moment...how about you? Any ideas?"  
"I have one, but it'll only help us...we notify the team. That way we can get MORE ideas and even MORE people to do them"  
"so we notify them tomorrow, then what?"  
"then we make a plan"  
"that's really smart of you" Takumi commented  
"well, I'm a Takahashi, am I not?" Keisuke bragged but he continued on "hopefully the team doesn't freak out or something...well then...since there's nothing much to say, bye! Thanks for notifying me."  
"you NEEDED to be notified...anyway, bye then" Takumi replied then hung up. 


	6. back again for the team

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 06- back again for the team  
  
Ryousuke awoke again the following morning. He felt like going for another drive so he showered and left. He proceeded to Akina mountain and drove downhill again. This time, he DID notice Takumi going uphill so he flashed his lights and waved at him. They then continued on their separate ways.  
  
"Keisuke?" Takumi asked. It was 5:30 in the afternoon of the same day and the FD and 86 were on Akina's peak. They were earlier than any of their team members so they just waited patiently. Keisuke was leaning on the guardrail, arms crossed while Takumi was leaning on his car.  
"what?" Keisuke said  
"do you think your brother's going to show up today?"  
"I don't think so...if he's recovered over his lovesickness, which I doubt of, he might come..." then he continued on "why?"  
"nothing really...its just, we passed each other again this morning, and he flashed his lights and waved at me...he noticed me. And one more thing, his driving style was back to normal..."  
"do you think he's cured?"  
"no...but I do think he found a way to control his lovesickness...his emotions"  
"control...??"  
"I mean to say, he must've gotten hit on the head or something...uh, that expression was not literal..." Takumi said, seeing Keisuke's worried face again "...that he's back to normal..."  
"maybe...hopefully...but we have to make sure...so we'll still tell the team..." Keisuke said  
  
A few minutes passed as one by one, the Kengai Racing Team started to become complete until finally, they were. Keisuke called on to his team members  
"um...I'm here to make an announcement...and also, I owe my team members an apology..." The crowd murmured. Keisuke Takahashi making a public apology was definitely a first. So they stood there, waiting.  
"I would like to apologize about last time, 'cause I lied to all of you. You see, the reason my Aniki's not here is because..." he looked at Takumi for some help. Takumi nodded and he stepped forward. He took the stage and continued Keisuke's announcement  
"Takahashi Ryousuke's...um...lovesick..." he announced The whole crowd gasped. Takeshi Nakazato stepped forth, saying  
"what? Are you certain?"  
"yes. certain as certain. There were signs and Iketani and Kenji sempai saw him with a girl" The crowd gasped even more.  
"will you guys stop with the gasping?" Keisuke said  
"well, it can't be helped, can it?" Wataru said  
"our leader, Takahashi Ryousuke, in love...." Sayuki said dreamily  
"even so, it's not good..." Takumi said  
"why not?"  
"'cause this lovesickness is weakening him a bit. It affects his performance on the street. He has to be back to normal before he hits something..." Takumi explained  
"but Takumi, you already said that he already drives normally" Keisuke said  
"yes...but we can't take any chances. Being lovesick doesn't get cured overnight. He might become worst..."  
"Keisuke, what's the reason of telling us this?" Shingo asked  
"for one thing, you guys needed to know, and we sorta need your help..." Keisuke replied. He then continued on "you see, we have to save him"  
"that's right! We have to! For Ryousuke's sake..." Mako said  
"...also his reputation..." Kazumi continued  
"...plus his name!" Sayuki said The crowd looked at her  
"there was nothing much to say!!!" Sayaki said defensively  
"so, are you guys in?" Keisuke asked  
"YES!!!" the team said  
"okay, here's what we do..." as the crowd surrounded him. Takumi stayed outside the circle, for he heard a car climbing the mountain. He recognized it to be sounds of a rotary engine.  
"break it up guys!!! Ryousuke's here!!!" Takumi announced  
"scatter up everyone! We'll continue the planning tomorrow" Keisuke said The crowd parted and each went to their own cars. Some grouped up and tried to start up a conversation.  
"remember guys, Ryousuke doesn't know the we know so act normal, okay?" Keisuke said  
"don't blow it!" Takumi said just before Ryousuke's car came to a stop.  
  
Takahashi Ryousuke stepped casually out of his FC. He looked out to his team members and a smile appeared on his face. The crowd grouped together once again and surrounded him. Then he spoke,  
"I apologize for not turning up for practices yesterday. There were some personal matters I had to attend to..." Both Keisuke and Takumi looked at each other  
"Right then, back to business." He said as he started lecturing the team once more.  
  
After an hour of lecture, it was finally time to try the new techniques that were taught. The mountain pass was then filled with engine sounds that echoed throughout the night. New techniques were put into action as each car drifted with the wind. One of Ryouseke's tips on drifting was to be one with the wind and go with it. It helped greatly, as each car executed perfect drifts that they've already mastered for so long. Except for Nakazato though, who still believes that gripping on the road is better than drifting on it. Ryousuke tried several times to change this thought but he was unsuccessful. So he just taught him a technique made exceptionally for the GT-R32. Of course, under Ryousuke's teaching, he improved greatly. He even became a bit more patient which was a big improvement.  
  
Ryousuke occasionally drifted downhill with the whole team, which he did today. He usually stayed at the peak, overlooking the team from that point. He let the whole team go in front of him, so that he can study how each driver drives.  
  
When the team reached the bottom, Ryousuke took the lead, urging the team to follow him. So they did. Upon reaching the top, he got out and waited for the team to arrive. When they did, they all got out of their respective cars. Ryousuke then announced  
"You all must be wondering what this is all about but this will only take a minute. Since we're already a team, I think we should get a sticker already." The crowd murmured once again, which was stopped when Ryousuke cleared his throat  
"even though most of us already belong in a team, there will be no need to scrape off your former team's sticker. This will allow people to recognize which team each individual used to belong to, and what the new team is composed of..." most of the people nodded their heads in approval  
"to the other people who doesn't have a team sticker, namely Mako, Sayuki and Wataru...uh, I suppose Takumi also..." he looked at Takumi, who nodded "...I highly suggest for you guys to get a sticker soon but don't stick it at the back part. That will be where the new sticker will be placed. Find a vacant space and when I say vacant, I mean a place where no other sticker holds a place already, got it? " the aforementioned people all nodded  
"one more thing...where's Kazumi?" Kazumi went forward as the group parted to let her pass. Kazumi looked at him with a puzzled look on her face  
"what is it?" she asked  
"Kazumi, do you drive already?"  
"are you kidding? I'm already 18!!!" Kazumi said excitedly  
"well then, as the team's leader, I would like to invite you to join the team" Kazumi's face lit up  
"really?" she choked out  
"Yeah...unless if you don't want it—"  
"what do you mean 'don't want it'??? of course! I'll join the team!!!" "are there any objections against this?" Ryousuke said nobody spoke. Then...  
"okay...so I would like to welcome you to The Kengai Racing Team. Welcome aboard!"  
"alright!!!" Kazumi said, as she punched the air upward. 


	7. close team ties

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 07-close team ties  
  
"So guys, this is what we do..." Keisuke said  
  
The Kengai Racing team had assembled at the peak of the night kids' territory, Myogi. Ryousuke had informed the whole team about the sudden change of venue that morning then Keisuke called them afterwards, telling them to go there an hour earlier. They had some planning to do. It was now 5:00pm and the team surrounded Keisuke to hear the plan better.  
  
"My Aniki leaves the house at around 6:30am. He goes driving around...probably in Akina because Takumi has been meeting him when he does his morning deliveries. So, most probably, the girl lives around in Akina. I'm pretty sure you all want to see him with the girl, right?" The whole team nodded.  
"I have here a bunch of walkie-talkies," he said, getting one from the bag beside him. "Everyone will receive one so if anyone spots him, that person just calls each of us and we'll sneak up to that place and see for ourselves" he started handing walkie-talkies to each member. Wataru spoke up, saying "but Keisuke, won't we be spotted?"  
"I already got that figured out, Wataru. Since one car is already there, the remaining people just take their respective cars and park far away from the place. Then they walk to the car that's already there and get in. two cars will have to be there so we'll go by pairs..."  
"okay then" Wataru said  
"one more thing, keep the walkie-talkies during practices..." no one took notice of Keisuke talking anymore. Keisuke saw that everyone else was amazed with the walkie-talkies and started testing them except for himself. He got his own and shouted at the speaker  
"HEY! SHUT OFF AND KEEP THE WALKIE-TALKIES IN YOUR CARS DURING PRACTICES, UNDERSTOOD?" nobody spoke for a moment, then Nakazato spoke through his walkie-talkie  
"roger" the others followed suit, saying  
"got it"  
"affirmative"  
"yes sir"  
"clear"  
"yup"  
"um...okay" The last remark came from Takumi. The whole team looked at him then they all laughed at him. Takumi said, "what else can I say?" as he laughed along.  
"anyway, what do you guys say if we field test these things? Let's all drive down then we'll try to talk to each other," Keisuke said  
"sounds like fun!" Sayuki said  
"then let's do it!" Keisuke said so each went to their respective cars and drove downhill. Sayuki and Kazumi stayed on top, but stayed far away from each other, they also wanted to be included in the fun. The team talked to each other, oftentimes saying useless things. They formed close bonds with each other even though they were just talking to each other. Above all, they had fun.  
  
Later on, Sayuki said, "hey, all of you, get up here quick! Ryousuke's here!" she slipped the walkie-talkie in her pocket and turned to see Ryousuke stepping out of his FC. He said, "um...where's everyone?"  
Kazumi went forward, accompanied by Sayuki. She said, "oh...they'll be here" At that exact moment, the team appeared headed by the yellow FD. They parked in one side then got out immediately. Keisuke said "sorry we're late, Aniki. We just played a little bit of...um...downhill tag...it was really fun, wasn't it guys?"  
"oh...definitely!"  
"who won?" Ryousuke questioned  
"I did" Takumi prompted  
"Hmph...just as I thought...anyway, let's get back to lessons, shall we? Then maybe we can play that later," he said as the team motioned nearer. He proceeded to his FC and got his laptop out. He glanced at the team; they were talking to each other. 'they already gained trust and good ties with each other...that's a good sign' as he smiled at the team and started lecturing. 


	8. spotted

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 08- spotted  
  
The next day, Keisuke decided to take the plan into action. So they all split up into pairs that evening after practices. Sayuki rode with Mako and Kazumi with her brother. Keisuke went with Takumi, Nakazato with Shingo; Kenta went alone while Wataru was accompanied by Mako. They took their respective posts and parked. They talked to each other since they had nothing much to do. Keisuke invited Takumi to stay with him in his car for company so Takumi did so. Later on, Takumi noticed a white FC park across the street.  
"Keisuke, isn't that your brother?" Keisuke looked at the car then said "you're right, it is him...hopefully he doesn't see us..."  
"do we alert the team?"  
"a little bit later...when he gets out..." so they waited until a girl approached his car. Ryousuke got out and talked to her.  
"um...team, get here now! We're at the 11th avenue Street. Ryousuke with a girl in line of sight..." Keisuke spoke through the walkie-talkie.  
"roger"  
"affirmative"  
"we're on our way" Keisuke placed his walkie-talkie on his dashboard. Takumi looked at Ryousuke and the girl. At one point, Ryousuke looked at the FD and smiled. He turned back to the girl and continued on talking.  
"Keisuke, I think we've been spotted"  
"what? You sure?"  
"Ryousuke looked here a moment ago"  
"shit!" Keisuke cursed  
  
While all this was happening inside the FD, outside across the street, Ryousuke was still talking to Yuki.  
"Yuki-chan, can you wait here for a moment? I want to introduce to you some people"  
"sure, its fine" Yuki replied Ryousuke crossed the street and approached the FD. Inside, Takumi saw this and said  
"um...he's coming this way..."  
"team!" Keisuke shouted at the walkie-talkie. "we've been spotted! Hold your positions until I give out further orders!" he clicked his walkie- talkie off and slid it under his car seat. Takumi hid his too, in the glove compartment in front of him. They started to carry out a conversation when Ryousuke tapped Keisuke's window. Keisuke slightly jumped and looked out his window. He rolled it down and looked at his brother.  
"hey Keisuke, what brings you to this side of town?"  
"may I ask you also the same question?" Keisuke said  
"hmph...stubborn little brother I have..." he said as he smiled at him "so...taking a tour around here?" he continued, spotting Takumi beside him.  
"uh...actually, we were heading to a restaurant to meet up with Kenta and Wataru" he lied  
"ah...I see. Do you have a minute? I want to introduce you guys to someone"  
"oh...okay. No problem" Keisuke replied as he got out the FD. Takumi followed suit and the two of them followed Ryousuke across the street and to his FC, which was parked in front of a vending machine. They spotted Yuki and Ryousuke lead them to her.  
"um, guys...this is Kazama Yuki. She's staying here for a few weeks" Ryousuke said. Then he turned to Yuki. "Yuki-chan, this is Keisuke-san and Takumi..."  
"nice meeting you" Keisuke and Takumi said to Yuki  
"you too...wow! Finally I get to meet some of Ryousuke-kun's team members. Takahashi Keisuke, Ryousuke's younger brother and Fujiwara Takumi. Do you still remember me, Takumi?" she asked Takumi.  
"um...not really..."  
"oh c'mon Takumi!" and she imitated a high-pitched, child's voice, saying "Takumi-kun! play with me!" Takumi thought, then he suddenly remembered. "Yuki-chan? Is that you?" Yuki nodded at him, smiling.  
"wow! I never thought I'd be seeing you again! I mean, it's nice to see you again!"  
"yeah, you too." And she smiled even more at him Silence crept for a while, then  
"anyway, you better be going. You might be late in meeting Nakazato and Wataru"  
"ah yes...must be going! It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Kazama" Keisuke said  
"please, call me Yuki" Yuki replied  
"well then...Yuki, bye!" Keisuke said  
"bye Yuki-chan!" Takumi said as he and Keisuke crossed the street. Ryousuke and Yuki went inside the FC while Keisuke and Takumi did the same in the FD. The FC sped off in the night. Inside the FD, Keisuke asked Takumi "care to explain who the girl is" Takumi looked at him and said "Yuki and I were neighbors before and I used to play with her...that's all"  
"okay...childhood friends" Keisuke said as they zoomed off to Akina mountain. 


	9. team's admittance

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 09-team's admittance  
  
"team! This is Keisuke speaking. Proceed now to Akina's peak! Emergency meeting!" Keisuke said through the walkie-talkie as he zoomed off towards the mountain He was closely followed by Takumi and his 86.  
  
In a few minutes time, the other members appeared and rushed off to Keisuke. Keisuke, in return, explained to them.  
"okay. This is what happened. Apparently, Takumi here actually knows the girl"  
"WHAT?" the team exclaimed Takumi, on he other hand, looked dumb and stupid as he usually is and scratched his cheek nonchalantly.  
"anyway........." Keisuke said, "we were introduced to the girl then the girl recognized me and Takumi"  
"probably Ryousuke told her about you two" Nakazato said  
"OR he told her about the whole team" Keisuke prompted  
"what do you mean, Keisuke?" Shingo asked  
"I sort of recognized the girl.........and I think I know why my Aniki's in love with her is because they share something in common" The team just looked at him blankly.  
"look, I know my Aniki more than ANY other person in this world, even more than my parents, and I know for one thing that he only gets interested in women is because of two reasons" He held out one finger "one, is because they're EXTREMELY pretty" he held out another finger "or two, is because they're interested in cars, either anatomy or types.........more often on the former though"  
"no wonder Ryousuke is so suave and silent when he's around galleries of fan girls........." Sayuki whispered to Mako and Kazumi, who giggled upon hearing this. Keisuke turned his attention towards the three girls and spoke "what're you girls giggling there about?"  
"oh nothing really........." Kazumi said, as she flashed a sweet smile at him  
"weird........." Keisuke mumbled then he continued "any of you got any suggestion for curing this situation?" There was a moment of silence then Mako spoke up "why don't we just leave the matter alone?"  
"huh? What do you mean?" Keisuke said  
"I think I know what Mako means is that we leave Ryousuke to settle this himself........." Kenta said then he turned to Mako "am I right, Mako?" Mako nodded at him.  
"Keisuke, what your brother is experiencing is something unavoidable and REALLY happens at one point in a persons life........."  
"it's the thing called love........." Takumi prompted  
"okay, guys........." Keisuke said  
"no but really, a show of hands. Who here has been in love?" Kenta asked. Nobody moved then Kenta urged "c'mon, we're already a team! Admitting to team members is essential for a strong bond!" Takumi raised his hand "I was. A few days before the battle with Ryousuke way back before, I was extremely lovesick"  
"you were?" Keisuke said, dumbstruck.  
"anyway, anyone else?" Kenta asked looking around the crowd the three girls slowly raised their hands one by one. Mako spoke first  
"um.........I did love someone before, its what I called one sided love......I was then satisfied by loving him secretly"  
"huh?" the team said.  
"oh.........I think I remember. Was it ......?" Sayuki asked  
"yeah, it was him" Mako said to Sayuki  
"who is he???" the team said  
"it's the person we're spying on........." Mako said shyly  
"hmph.........figures" Nakazato said  
"typical........." Keisuke shrugged.  
"moving along, Sayuki?" Kenta said  
"I DO have a small crush on someone.........but I'm NOT telling!" and she smiled at them. Mako giggled at her, Sayuki went along.  
"why do you girls giggle a lot?" Shingo asked  
"Kazumi-chan?" Kenta said  
"I have someone in mind who I find really cute........." Kazumi admitted  
"oooh...who is it??" Mako and Sayuki asked together  
"its........." and she pulled them to one corner and whispered "Keisuke- san......" and she blushed crimson.  
"I have to admit alright, he is ALSO cute........." Sayuki said  
"yeah, I wonder why the Takahashi brothers have such charm?" Mako said  
"must be in their genes or something........." Kazumi said And the girls giggled again in their corner. The boys, meanwhile, looked at them disapprovingly  
"girls.........you never know what they're talking about" Keisuke said  
"yeah" Wataru agreed.  
"So........." Keisuke said out loud. Everyone looked at him. "now that's settled, we just leave my Aniki alone?"  
"yeah" Takumi said  
"fine.........oh, don't you guys act like you know anything. Pretend you know NOTHING, you hear? My brother might get disappointed or something........."  
"he doesn't need to worry, Keisuke. His whole team is behind him and we'll help your brother anytime, right?" Takumi said  
"RIGHT!" the team exclaimed  
"so, this meeting's over. bye then!" So they bid each other good-bye and drove downhill and to their respective homes for a day's rest. 


	10. person spying

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now  
  
Chapter 10-person-spying  
  
Ryousuke leaving the house at such an early time had already become an everyday thing for Keisuke. He would seldom alert the team the moment his brother drives off. Takumi also got used to seeing Ryousuke during his morning deliveries but they just acknowledge each other by flashing their headlights and waving at each other.  
  
Meanwhile, the team would go to their posts the moment Keisuke alerts them. But for some strange reason, they just couldn't steal a glance of Ryousuke with Yuki. Not until one afternoon.  
  
Sayuki and Kazumi's car had just been delivered that morning. Keisuke decided to just cram their selves in the two new cars of the team and go driving around Akina's town. At first, the two girls refused but then, Nakazato proposed that they all pay for the gas of the car they were riding in. They all agreed, since it was the only possible way that Ryousuke wouldn't suspect them because he hasn't seen the cars yet. So they rode. Mako, Kenta, Nakazato and Shingo rode in Sayuki's Dark blue sil-eighty (exactly like Mako's) and Keisuke, Takumi and Wataru rode in Kazumi's white Hatchi-roku. They all brought their walkie-talkies along as they headed for Akina's town proper.  
  
Upon arriving, they split up. After some minutes, the group of Kazumi spotted what they were hunting for. They immediately alerted Sayuki's group. The FC was there, but it seems like no one was inside. Just when they decided to leave, Wataru spotted Ryousuke walking alongside the rows of cars.  
"hey, hey...... " He said through his walkie-talkie. "Ryousuke spotted at......um......" he turned to Takumi "where are we?"  
"5th street" Takumi prompted  
"okay, thanks" then he turned to his walkie-talkie "we're parked at the 5th street......get here A.S.A.P!!!" The group followed Ryousuke with their eyes. "where's the girl, then?" Kazumi asked  
"she'll be here.........most probably my Aniki's meeting her here" Keisuke answered So they waited, for the team and most especially, for the girl. In a few minutes time, the dark blue sil-eighty parked behind them. Kazumi looked at her rear view mirror and waved at Sayuki through it.  
"so, where is she?" Nakazato's voice was heard from Keisuke's walkie- talkie  
"she's not yet here.........just be a bit more patient......" Keisuke replied The whole team waited once more, this time, for the girl to arrive. Most of them started getting bored so they played with their walkie-talkies. This action halted when Takumi said through his "the girl has just been spotted" The occupants of both cars looked towards Ryousuke's direction and except Keisuke and Takumi, they each received the shock of their lives. More on Nakazato though, who recognized the woman, who was now walking alongside Ryousuke towards the FC. They got in and sped off.  
"let's head to Akina mountain" Keisuke told Kazumi, who started her engine and drove off, Sayuki following her closely.  
  
minutes later Kazumi had just arrived, followed shortly by Sayuki. They got off and Nakazato quickly approached Keisuke  
"well, you saw hard-core proof......... need I show you more?" Keisuke said  
"not really, but I know that girl........." Nakazato replied  
"oh c'mon! not you too!!!" Keisuke said, putting a hand on his forehead  
"no! its not like that......what's the girl's name?"  
"Kazama Yuki"  
"then your guess and mine are correct........."  
"what're you talking about?"  
"Ryousuke is interested in her cause she's interested in cars. That's what you get in dating a female street racer"  
"......street racer?"  
"don't tell me you don't know. Think! Does 'blue ice of Tokyo' ring a bell?" Keisuke's eyes widened  
"could she be.........Kazama Yuki, A.K.A blue ice of Tokyo?"  
"I HIGHLY think so........."  
"wow.........and to think, my brother's friends with her......" Then an idea struck Keisuke  
"hey, Takeshi.........does the famous 'blue ice of Tokyo' belong in a team?"  
"not that I know of.........why?"  
"for some strange reason, I have an idea that I think my brother might consider as a possibility" 


	11. confessions from brother to brother

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 11-confessions from brother to brother

It was 11:30pm of the next day and Keisuke was sitting on the couch at home, watching TV. He heard a familiar engine sound arrive and parked in their garage. 'He's early' thought Keisuke. He glanced at their wall clock. 'He usually arrives at around 12:30pm. I wonder what happened?' His thoughts were interrupted when his Aniki closed the door and hung his keys on the key rack.

"oh hello, Aniki. You're home early…" Keisuke greeted his brother

"I'm a bit tired so I went home early, Keisuke-san" Ryousuke said

"I see…" Keisuke said as he went back to his TV show

"Keisuke…" Ryousuke said slowly.

"what?" Keisuke said defensively.

"you're a bit odd today, what's up?" Ryousuke questioned, as he plopped down on the couch next to his younger brother.

"what do you mean 'what's up?" what's up with you?" Keisuke said, looking at his brother.

Ryousuke smiled at his brother, saying, "oh…I see what's wrong. Its about Yuki, isn't it?"

Keisuke blinked at him then looked away.

"well, for my brother's happiness, I'd be happy to answer any question you have in mind"

Keisuke grabbed this opportunity so he launched his questions. "why have you been seeing her everyday? Is she 'just your friend'? why's she here, anyway?"

"slow down, Keisuke! One by one…"

"okay…" Keisuke breathed in "it's just that, you've been with Yuki-chan every SINGLE day since she arrived and I was just wondering if…um…"

"if I'm weakened by her or in love with her?" Ryousuke continued

Keisuke looked at him, quite astonished

"how'd…you know…?"

"those specific questions usually get questioned when a guy meets a girl…"

They kept silent for a while then Keisuke said

"okay, so…"

"Alright then. Keisuke-san, since you're my brother and I FULLY trust you, I have a small confession to make…"

Keisuke just looked at him

"I met Yuki before when I was in College. We went to the same university and we became friends, even though we already belonged in one whole gigantic group…"

Ryousuke paused for a moment, then continued on shortly.

"we shared a lot in common, like being the top in our class and being able to think accurately. And do you remember? At that time, I wasn't interested in girls at all before. I never really liked them because they were a bit…um…_wild_ and _rowdy_ around and about me. I never liked that feeling, being followed by a group of girls around the campus…"

Keisuke rolled his eyes and said, "yeah, I know _exactly_ how you felt…"

"all my other female friends were like that, but Yuki seemed different. She was able to restrain her feelings and emotions and shield them from anyone else. The only person who really knew how she felt was her best friend, Kadsukai."

"but, actually, I sort of blame this on my good looks because Kadsukai accidentally spilled to me Yuki's secrets and emotions…which was mostly for me…"

His brother stared blankly at him. Ryousuke turned his attention to the coffee table instead and continued talking

"after that little spill, I became extra nice to Yuki-chan, maybe its because I knew her secrets or I liked her…I really didn't know at that time…"

"I treated her like my best friend, because she listened to me and so did I. It was great, having a female friend you can talk to freely, but all good things must come to an end, right? So when she informed me that she'll be permanently living in Tokyo, I saw the end of our…bond"

Ryousuke shifted his position a bit. Keisuke was still staring blankly at him.

"and this is where I had my BIGGEST regret all my life…I let go of our friendship. We didn't fight or anything, but I saw no more way to continue so I just placed an end to it…"

"now…after around 6 years of living without her, she came back. I felt like life was poured back into me once more. I felt more alive around her. That's why I'm so preoccupied with her. I'm building up our friendship from scratch again"

"oh…so that's why. NOW I understand…carry on then, Aniki…" Keisuke said with a smile on his face. He continued on, saying

"Aniki, I have one more question, and you really don't necessarily have to answer it right now…" Keisuke said

"what is it, Keisuke-san?"

"do you truly love her?"

Ryousuke's eyes widened.

"hey, like I said, you don't have to answer that now. Think it over, then I'll ask you again some other time." He stood up and approached the stairs leading to their bedrooms.

"oh…don't worry, your confessions are very safe with me. You're my Aniki so I dearly respect whatever you tell me to keep…"

"ah…Arigato, Keisuke-san" Ryousuke said

"it's fine, alright? Well then, I'm off to bed. Good night and DO get a night's rest…"

"I will. Good night, Keisuke-san" Ryousuke replied.


	12. thoughts of three people

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 12- thoughts of three people

"…_That's why I'm so preoccupied with her. I'm building up our friendship from scratch again" _Ryousuke's voice echoed in Keisuke's head.

'so that's why…its just a mere little friendship…I don't know what I was thinking before' Keisuke thought while laying down on his bed.

'but, it really makes me wonder, does Aniki love her? More than a friend? And if so, does Yuki feel the same for him?' he shifted his position a bit.

'it's the first time I EVER saw my Aniki…should I say this? In love with someone…but then, he wasn't able to answer THE question'

'I can only think of one explanation for his state right now, though. He could be confused with his feelings…perhaps its because he never felt like this way. Maybe before, but it got intensified though the years…'

'…and there is a tiny possibility that he could be a bit weakened by these feelings. He doesn't know how to control them because he's very unfamiliar to these kinds of things' he shut his eyes for a moment.

'gee…' he opened his eyes 'I never thought my Aniki would fall for someone…well, I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid……but if he ever does, I DO hope he tries to make it right…'

Keisuke then reassured himself 'what the heck are you thinking, Keisuke? This is your Aniki you're talking about! The white comet of Akagi! One of the brightest students ALL throughout his schooling! He won't do anything stupid in this different situation!'

'but then, just to play safe…I'll be behind him which means I'll definitely leave him alone yet I will help him get up again once he starts to fall or when he's on the ground already… anyway, the team is also behind him…so that's already okay' he smiled and with this final thought, Keisuke went to sleep.

---

Meanwhile, in the next room, another was also pondering on his thoughts.

"_do you truly love her?"_ The words of his younger brother played back in his head over and over again.

He sprawled on his bed, yet in a fashionable way. He folded his arms at the back of his neck and rested his head on them.

'_do I truly love her?_ I don't know…' he chuckled a bit 'wow…it's the first time I wasn't able to give out an answer. Could it be because it's about Yuki-chan?' He thought for a moment.

'yes, maybe…but, sooner or later, I'll have to answer that question. It also puzzles me why I'm so drawn to her… could it be her characteristics or herself? Maybe both…' he smiled as his mind drifted to Yuki

'Yuki-chan,' he thought as he looked up at the ceiling. 'We've been friends for a long time. I know a lot about yourself…even a bit of your feelings. You were the shy one, quiet and calm. I liked you at that time because you were like that…to sum it all up, you were different than all the other girls'

'but, think about it, Ryousuke' he told himself 'why do you go see Yuki-chan everyday? Is it because you haven't seen her for such a long time OR you like her?'

'maybe I DO like her, I just can't admit to myself…yet….well, one fact is that she's different from the others and perhaps this is the reason I like her…and she's a street racer. THAT I really can't swallow yet…'

'hmph…I wonder what she's doing right now?' he thought as he closed his eyes shut and slept.

---

Miles and miles away from the Takahashi Residence, atop of a mountain located in Tokyo, an ice-blue Honda SIR was revving up the engine. The driver, who happened to be Kazama Yuki, also had some thoughts on her mind.

'Takahashi Ryousuke…the once 'lone white comet of Akagi'…I never would've guessed that he would take an interest in cars, like myself. But, come to think of it, when we were still in college, we had the same brainy head and almost similar thinking abilities…'

She shifted to first gear, then bolted down the mountain.

'he was 'lone' before, I am 'lone' now…'

she shifted to second gear

'blue ice of Tokyo, that's who I am here'

she shifted to third then braked and executed a drift while downshifting to first.

'he's still the Ryousuke I remember from college'

she accelerated towards the next corner

'still friendly,'

shift to second

'…gentle and kind,'

shift to third

'and still treats me like his best friend'

she braked, downshifted then drifted smoothly pass the corner. She quickly picked up her pace as the next corner was approaching.

'actually, I get to think that he's TOO nice to me…'

shift to second

'…wonder why?'

shift to third, then braked a little then drifted a bit. She then downshifted then said, "here goes the straightaway" and picked up her pace once more. She shifted to second gear.

'Maybe he likes me?'

shift to third

'ha! Takahashi Ryousuke? Like a girl? That didn't sound right…'

shift to fourth as the corner was near. She braked, downshifted then drifted perfectly. She floored the gas pedal to pick up her already perfect rhythm.

'But, then, I DO like him ever since college and I tried my very best to conceal my feelings…'

shift to second

'eventually, he knew. Then he started being nice to me…'

shift to third. The three hairpin curves were fast approaching that the first one was a few meters away.

"oh goodie! Curves!" she said happily.

So she tackled the hairpin curves like a pro. Since she had mastered drift and have tried revising the methods of drifting suitable for her, she glided through the curves like ice on a revolving plate. Her turning was precise and she neared the guardrails by about 2cm.

She reached the bottom and braked. Then she hit the timer on her dashboard

'hmmm…not bad for my first try on a mountain pass, I must say that I have good adaptability' she thought as she reached for a small notebook and pen in her glove compartment. She scribbled 'first try' on the first column and '05.42' on the next column. 'the straights were pretty long and the curves were sharp. They're VERY different from the streets of Tokyo…though I hope I didn't put too much strain on my tires' she thought. 'I might as well be getting home now and drop off the car then take the train to Akina now…I'm so tired' she concluded as she drove home to her Parent's house to park her car.


	13. The racing test Part 1

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 13- The racing test Part 1

the next day

Practices for the team were still being held in Myogi. Ryousuke had reminded the whole team that the slopes of Myogi weren't that steep and the curves weren't sharp. This was their next target or lesson, to drive downhill and uphill at such type of mountain pass. So there they were, listening to Ryousuke's continuous teaching in which the techniques were a lot different from what they've already learned

When they were done, Ryousuke called onto Sayuki and Kazumi. Since they were driving for the first time after his teachings, he had to make sure that they clearly understand.

"so, Sayuki-chan, Kazumi-chan…did you two understand everything?"

"of course we did, Ryousuke! Didn't we, Kazumi?"

Kazumi nodded at her

"well then, let me see how well you girls drive. Stay at the back of the line when we go down. Okay? I'll have to watch you closely"

"you'll be tailing us?" Kazumi asked

"not really tailing, just following you closely"

Outside this group, Keisuke called out to Takumi.

"hey, do you get to speak to Yuki-chan?"

"huh? Um…sometimes. Why?"

"if you ever find out when she's leaving, inform me A.S.A.P"

"I already know when she's leaving…" Takumi said nonchalantly

"really? When?"

"next week, Friday"

"next week? Oh no…but its already Saturday!"

"yeah…" Takumi said, then he looked at Keisuke seriously "its about your Aniki, isn't it?"

"yes…and I'm so worried that he'll make another mistake…"

"why? Did he let her go before?"

"sort of…he really didn't—" he cut himself off. Then he said "how'd you know?"

"its just a guess…"

"oh, good…I thought you knew…cause if you did, my Aniki will REALLY get disappointed…"

"okay" Takumi said

They remained silent for a while then Keisuke spoke

"Takumi, I'll be needing your help…"

"huh? Why again?"

"well…for one thing, you can think like my Aniki so I guess you can help him when he will encounter a problem and together, we can talk him out of things…"

"alrighty then. When will you need me?"

"next week, Friday…most probably after practices"

"next week, Friday at the Takahashi Residence, check!" Takumi said

"okay team!" Ryousuke called out. The whole team looked at him. "you ready to tackle Myogi?"

"YES!" the team shouted

"well then let's go! Nakazato, you lead…"

"…me?" Nakazato replied in disbelief

"yes, you. I believe that you're the leader of the Night Kids, am I correct? So, you must be very familiar with this course…"

"right…that's true"

"okay. This is the line up. So Shingo follows you. Then Kenta, Mako, Wataru Takumi, Keisuke, Kazumi then finally Sayuki."

This is the play: I've sorted you people according to the driver behind you. What you have to do is to try to do your best in preventing the person at your back to get pass you…the person at the back will taunt the person in front of him/her…so the key point here is _concentration_. If you lose this, surely you'll get overtaken. If the person in front of you loses concentration, please don't hesitate to overtake. You will only _taunt_, okay? Overtake only if concentration is lost. Though I'm an exception so I might pass through you guys because I'll be observing you…We've been training for a long time now so this is a…well, its similar to a test…"

The team murmured among themselves then kept quiet once more after a few seconds.

"Anyway, when we get to the bottom, we reverse places so that Sayuki's in front…"

Sayuki almost fell over

"and Nakazato's at the back, but don't rest yet" He said, seeing Nakazato's relieved look "cause, _I'll_ be at your back"

Nakazato's features twisted into a worried look

"c'mon, let's go guys!" Ryousuke urged "let's get MOVING!"

The whole team got the hint so they all climbed into their cars and started their engines. They waited for Nakazato to lead then they followed, keeping in mind who's the person in front and at their back, more on the latter for they will be the one's to pressure them.

So they started on their very first test.


	14. The racing test Part 2

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 14-The racing test Part 2

Engine sounds could be heard at the mountain in Myogi.

The Kengai Racing Team was currently racing right here.

Inside the black R32, Nakazato was feeling the pressure creep onto him for he was on the lead.

"I have to hold onto my concentration and prove to Ryousuke that I, Takeshi Nakazato, can keep my cool and concentration as well…and at the same time, I want to test myself if I can handle the pressure…" he said as he shifted to third gear and turned around the corner. He then sped off once more.

Meanwhile, inside the red EG6, Shingo was also feeling the pressure.

"well…this is a lot better than the gum tape death match that I usually propose…where my right hand is taped to the wheel…I must've grown accustomed to it…I always keep my hand on the wheel now, I rarely pass the steering wheel from one hand to another when I turn…" he said as he turned perfectly while keeping his hand on the wheel.

The orange S14 was not far behind the EG6. "I guess Ryousuke believes that I'm capable of catching up…but, I really don't like Mako to be behind me though…even if she's a girl, she drives well. I can feel the pressure on me" Kenta said as drifted down behind Shingo.

Mako and her blue Sil-eighty were chasing Kenta like mad and were close to overtaking him. "hmmm…Myogi's slopes are gentler and the curves are not sharp. Compared to my home course in Usui, I find this a bit easier…I wonder if Kenta will lose his concentration…I haven't, though Wataru's tailgating me also…but, I will NOT lose my concentration!" she stopped for a moment. "and I also want to impress Ryousuke-san…" and she smiled as she downshifted and drifted like she does in Usui Mountain.

The turbo-charged hatchi-roku closely followed the sil-eighty. "Mako-chan is very good. She's able to follow Kenta, who's pretty skilled. Well, he's a member of the redsuns and as I heard before, Keisuke personally trained him" He said as he drifted down then exited the corner while shaking the rear of his car as to compensate the turbo lag that he experiences. He then sped off after Mako. The shifting of gears was clearly heard because of his turbo that kept emitting high-pitched sounds whenever he shifts.

Meanwhile, behind Wataru, Takumi was a little bit at ease. With his new engine, he could go up to 11,000 RPM's yet he just maintained his speed at around 9,000. "I can keep up with anyone so I guess I'll just keep my cool. Ryousuke said anyways that we're really not supposed to overtake unless the person in front of you loses concentration. But knowing Wataru, he doesn't lose his concentration easily. And, wow…" he said as he glanced at his rear view mirror. "Keisuke's improving. He can keep up with me…" he pushed his car to 10,000 RPM's and zoomed a little bit farther off Keisuke.

"damn, he must've pushed his car again" Keisuke said as the car in front of him zoomed away from him. "oh well, I guess I'll have to chase him to match up his speed…" he said as he slightly floored the gas pedal. "Kazumi-chan is pretty good…she can keep up with the fast pace we have now…for her first try, she is skilled. My Aniki didn't make a mistake in recruiting her. Perhaps with a little bit more of knowledge, she may be able to level with Takumi's" he said, looking at Kazumi through his rear view mirror. Then he smiled a bit "nah…I don't think anyone can get near Takumi's skill level…maybe my Aniki can…but, whatever! I have to stop talking or else I'll lose my concentration" Keisuke said as he drifted after the hatchi-roku in front of him.

"Amazing! I never knew racing would be this exciting! The speed, the sounds…they all excite me!" Kazumi said as she went after the FD in front of her. "I tried driving my Aniki's Levin a/n: 'Levin' is also similar to Hatchi-roku before…but I had a hard time controlling it because of the turbo lag afterwards…at least with this normal hatchi-roku, I can control it because it has a normal engine…and I've been practicing secretly at Akina…so that I can acquire the feel of the car. I'm so glad I got it. It helps a lot" she drifted a bit but slipped a little. "ooops! I slipped! I need to practice drifting, though. I haven't gotten the hang of it yet" she tore after Keisuke down the mountain.

"Kazumi, I saw that" Sayuki said mischievously. "I guess a bit more practice will be beneficial for you…perhaps Takumi-kun can teach you" she drifted down the mountain. "The feel of this sil-eighty is very similar to Mako's…I have gotten used to the ride that I can control it…and my navigation of Mako before comes very handy now…I can estimate when to drift and when not to…" she said as she drifted and quickly picked up her pace again. She looked at the white FC through her rear view mirror. "I wonder why Ryousuke's not flooring his FC…anyway, he's just observing us so probably, he doesn't feel like tearing after us…after _me_, actually" she said as she shifted to fourth gear then braked and downshifted to first…"oh well, I have to really concentrate on driving or else Ryousuke might get near me. I'm contented of not having him tailgate me"

The white FC stayed behind the whole team. He was studying each member's performance from that distance. 'Sayuki's not that bad…as she told me before, she was the navigator of Mako when they were driving in Usui so she has this estimation skill that she's putting into good news. Kazumi, on the other hand…' he thought as he went nearer Sayuki for a clearer view of the white hatchi-roku 'she needs a lot of practice in drifting…but she's pretty good for an 18 year old. She is able to hold her position and she can keep up with Keisuke-san who is…wow…improving' he zoomed past the hatchi-roku and observed his younger brother's performance. 'he can keep up with Takumi already. That's good' he approached the corner with much interest and drifted together with Keisuke, leaving only around 5cm of space between them. They performed the 'parallel drift', in which the Takahashi brothers are famous for. He then went pass his brother to observe the Fujiwara tofu car race downhill. 'this is the first time I saw Takumi race here in Myogi…I have raced with him at Akina and at Akagi, where his skill impressed me. I guess he finds Myogi easier to race on' he thought as he chased after Takumi, in which he found a little bit difficult to do. Finally, he passed him and saw the last hatchi-roku of the team in front of him. 'Turbo is very beneficial and Wataru has really gotten used to the turbo lag he encounters. Well, good for him' he thought as he tore after Wataru to observe Mako. 'Mako is VERY good…she impresses me' he thought as the blue sil-eighty drifted around the corner. 'but she drifts a little wider than I expected. She must've grown used to her partner's navigation' he shifted to third gear then braked a little and downshifted to drift after Mako. He went through the inside, since Mako drifted a little wide and left the inside clear. The S14 was now in view. 'Keisuke's training of Kenta really pays off…Kenta's able to catch up with Shingo and keeps his concentration well. Even though he drives a S14, he can race well with it' he thought as the S14 went a little faster. 'he's running away from me…clever boy' he floored his gas pedal then shifted to fourth gear. Nearing the corner, he braked a little, downshifted and drifted. His drift was clear and precise, sliding past Kenta easily. 'second to the last car to observe, Shingo and his EG6' he thought as slowly gained his way closer to the red civic hatch-back. 'one thing I can say: he drives well. He can keep up with Nakazato and deal with the pressure' he said as he zoomed past Shingo. The black R32 was now in front of him. 'Nakazato's concentrating pretty well…that's progress' and he smiled, as Nakazato turned hard while he drifted alongside him. 'the end's pretty near now… I'll just stop observing and just concentrate on pressuring Nakazato…' he thought as did a perfect U-turn while using the emergency break. The others also did the same and soon, they were facing the uphill slopes of Myogi. Sayuki zoomed towards the peak, followed by her teammates and they started the next test, or rather, race.


	15. results

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 15-results

"I rate all of you, excellent though improvements may come in handy" Ryousuke said while the whole team listened

They had just finished their little 'test' and were now back up at the peak. The team was waiting patiently for his comments on their driving.

"okay, for Sayuki" he said, looking at her "you must've been a good navigator for you to estimate when driving. So, I note you for your estimation skills"

Sayuki nodded at him.

"for Kazumi, you're a pretty good driver for an 18 year old. It's like you've been driving already for a long time"

Kazumi smiled at him. "I've tried driving my Aniki's Levin before and I practiced driving as soon as my car arrived"

"oh so that's why…anyway, moving along…" he said as he scanned the team with his eyes. His gaze landed on his younger brother.

"Keisuke-san! You've improved greatly! You can keep up with Takumi when he pushed his car at around 10,000 RPM's, am I correct Takumi?" he said, looking at Takumi.

Takumi nodded at him, astonished.

"yup, that's good. For Takumi, you can really control your car now. But I was wondering why you just stayed at that speed?"

"um…there's really no need to push it to the limit, and I might overtake Wataru accidentally so I just kept my cool and remained at 10,000 RPM's at the most" Takumi answered.

"alright, you're correct. You know what, Wataru" Ryousuke said, turning to Wataru "I'm impressed on how you deal with the turbo lag"

"I'm just used to it" Wataru said

"good, good" Ryousuke said and he scanned the team for Mako. "Mako, I have a comment on your driving but its just a comment, you know"

Mako looked at him, encouraging for him to continue.

"okay, its just that, you drift a bit too wide. So I suggest that you stay in the inside then drift, so you won't leave any space for your opponent to pass"

She nodded at him.

"actually, I have an idea. Maybe I'll sit next to you some day then I can coach you, how does that sound?"

The whole team smiled at Mako and she blushed a bit.

"what're you guys smiling about?" Ryousuke questioned

"oh nothing! Nothing really, right guys?" Sayuki said.

The team nodded curtly.

"okay…so, what do you say, Mako-chan?"

"uh…alright then. Arigato, Ryousuke-san" and she bowed before him.

"its no problem" and he flashed a smile that sent shivers down her spine.

"next is Kenta." He looked at Kenta. "it's good that you were able to hold your position and still, keep your concentration. I observed that Mako was chasing you like mad"

"yeah. But to tell you the truth, I had a hard time keeping my concentration" Kenta answered

"it's good that you did. You focused pretty well, Kenta"

Kenta smiled at the comment.

"Shingo, what can I say? Oh, yeah. Your turning was really nice and you drift nicely"

"I got accustomed to having my hand taped to the wheel so now, I turn while keeping my right hand on the wheel"

"oh…okay. I see. Now for the last, Nakazato."

He looked at him

"by far, you're the one who really impressed me. You kept your concentration and cool while driving so now, it pays off"

"yes. I'm also glad of myself for accomplishing it" Nakazato said.

Nobody spoke for a while, until

"I'm so happy for this team" Ryousuke said.

Everyone looked at him.

"I conducted the test to also see if we stand united as a team and as you heard from my comments, we did. You all drove with the rhythm of the team and kept your concentration that's why no one was overtaken or left behind."

Everyone was still looking at him and kept silent.

"you all deserve my congratulations so…congratulations!"

"Arigato, Ryousuke" the team replied

"anyway, its getting late. We have to get home already."

So they all proceeded to their respective cars and drove downhill to their hometowns.


	16. a simple goodbye?

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 16-a simple goodbye?

The following days passed like the morning breeze, for the team were just driving uphill and downhill with occasional teachings from Ryousuke. Before Keisuke knew it, it was already Friday morning.

He awoke and almost screamed for Takumi was staring back at him.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE, FUJIWARA????" Keisuke shouted at Takumi.

"well…its finally Friday and I have a day off from work so I decided to pass by here after the delivery so, here I am" Takumi said nonchalantly.

"YOU ALMOST SCARED THE PANTS OUT OF ME!!!!" Keisuke shouted again

"uh…sorry, Keisuke" Takumi said innocently.

"ah… its alright. So, its already Friday, huh?"

"yeah"

"my Aniki's not here anymore?" Keisuke said, sitting up.

"as usual" Takumi answered

"I wonder if he knows already" Keisuke said as he stood up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Meanwhile, Ryousuke was driving up and down Akina mountain. Thoughts were buzzing through his head.

'Yuki-chan told me yesterday to meet her by Akina lake around 5 o'clock. She said she had something important to tell me' he drifted smoothly down the mountain.

'I wonder what it is?'

later

It was now 2:00pm and the team was waiting for Ryousuke to arrive. Finally, the white FC parked beside the FD and Ryousuke stepped out.

"I have to do something later around 5:00 so practices will end at 4:30pm. There really is no need to stay too late for today. We're just going to recap yesterday's lessons today"

So they did. Driving uphill and downhill was all they did and it passed the time pretty fast. After around 6 rounds of going up and down, it was finally 4:30 and the FC zoomed off.

"I wonder what that 'something to do' is?" Shingo said

"I know" Keisuke said so he explained to the team. After which, Mako spoke up

"oh my gosh! It might break his heart!"

"What're you going to do, Keisuke?" Kenta asked.

"Takumi and I will try to talk him out of it, I mean, talk to him to get her back" Keisuke answered

"good idea! Well, I wish you good luck" Sayuki said

"I sure hope it works, though" Takumi said

Yuki was already by Akina Lake. She was sitting down on the shed, with her luggage.

"I wonder what'll happen now?" she said, as she stood up and paced up and down.

"I have to explain to Ryousuke-san" she said then she ceased of her action. A white FC came into her view.

Ryousuke parked by the shed Yuki was in. He caught site of the bag beside Yuki and muttered to himself 'oh god, please. Don't let the thing I'm thinking of happen now' he stepped out of his car and approached Yuki.

"so, what did you want to tell me?"

"I'm here to ask you, may you escort me to the train station?"

They kept silent throughout the whole trip until they arrived at the train station.

"here's my stop, Ryousuke-san" Yuki said, looking at Ryousuke, who was staring down at the floor.

She reached for his chin and held it up.

"but I won't say goodbye to you, instead, see you soon" and she got his hand and place a piece of paper in it. She then kissed him lightly on the cheek and stepped out of the FC. This left him speechless and in a trance.

After a few moments, He snapped out of his trancelike state and looked outside, to see Yuki disappearing in the mass of people by the entrance. He then looked at the item lodged in his hand.

A piece of paper

He unfurled it and saw a small note. He read out:

Ryousuke-san,

I'm sorry I had to leave like this. My stay at my Aunt and Uncle's now

expired. So I'm heading home now, to Tokyo. Thank you for your friendship.

We'll still remain friends, okay? Just like the old days in college…

Don't worry, I'll still visit you sometime. Maybe then you can introduce

me to your team.

Take care of yourself, Ryousuke-san 'cause I don't want anything

bad to happen to you.

See you!

Yuki

P.S here's my address if you ever want to visit me:

And below was Yuki's address.

Ryousuke stared at the note in his hand. He looked down, as a tear leaked out of his eye. He shook it off and went home to Akagi downheartedly.


	17. a few realizations

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 17-a few realizations

Ryousuke arrived shortly at the Takahashi residence. He parked his car, went inside and hung his keys on the key rack. He started walking towards the stairs, gaze still down, when he absentmindedly muttered out "Yuki-chan's gone" as he ascended the stairs.

Keisuke and Takumi heard this so they waited until they heard Ryousuke's door clicked shut then Keisuke told Takumi

"so, are you ready to help him out?"

"yeah"

"then follow me" Keisuke said as he followed the steps of his brother to his room.

Upon arriving at the upstairs hallway, Keisuke lead Takumi to his brother's room. He knocked at the door and said

"Aniki, its us. May we come in?"

"we want to help, Ryousuke" Takumi said through the door.

"okay" Ryousuke's faint voice was heard.

They opened the door and saw Ryousuke sitting on his bed, downhearted with his head down. Keisuke sat down beside his brother and motioned Takumi to grab a seat and sit down opposite them.

When they were both settled, Keisuke asked his brother

"so, what happened Aniki?"

It took a few moments until Ryousuke answered, saying

"I let her go again, Keisuke"

Takumi reacted to what he had just heard

"what do you mean 'you let her go again'? you did this already before?"

"yes" Ryousuke replied

"why did you do it, Ryousuke?"

"why? Perhaps I didn't know what to say, that's why!" Ryousuke exploded "now, I'm so mad at myself for not doing anything about it. I…I…I feel so helpless and weak now…" Ryousuke said as a tear hit the floor.

Keisuke saw this and pointed it to Takumi, who nodded. Keisuke placed an arm around his brother's shoulders and gently rubbed them, as if to comfort him. Takumi spoke once more, saying

"so, what will you do now, Ryousuke?"

"what will I do? I don't know…maybe I'll be miserable my whole life again. I was able to do it anyways before Yuki arrived again…what's the difference now?"

"what? You're just going to give up?" Takumi asked

Ryousuke nodded

"aw c'mon Aniki!" Keisuke said, standing up. He turned his back to his brother and muttered out "I can't believe you're my Aniki! I never would've guessed that one day, you'd give up…and now, it happened, just because it's Yuki? It's pathetic, your reason is pathetic!"

Takumi looked at Keisuke and mouthed, "calm down Keisuke! We're supposed to help him, remember?"

"I'm just putting some pressure in him!" Keisuke mouthed back

"well, it'll do now, okay?" Takumi mouthed once more

Keisuke nodded back

Takumi smiled then he leaned forward to touch Ryousuke. He placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it gently.

"it's okay, Ryousuke" Takumi said

A few moments passed then Keisuke said

"you won't give up, Aniki"

Ryousuke lifted up his head and said "what do you mean? I already did"

"what I mean is, you will not repeat what happened before, you regretting you let Yuki go"

His brother blinked at him

"this is where my question for you enters the topic once more and this time, you must answer it: Aniki, do you love her?"

"yes" his brother mumbled

"what? I can't hear you…" Keisuke pressed on

"yes, I love Yuki-chan" Ryousuke repeated

"good" Keisuke said then he turned to Takumi and whispered "we got him, just give him a few tips"

"huh? Why me?" Takumi answered

"you said you were in love before, remember?"

Takumi nodded, remembering Mogi. He shook off the memory and thought of something to say.

"Ryousuke, you said you didn't know what to do, right?"

"yes"

"well, here's what I think you should do. After I'm finished talking, you will go to your car and drive to…um…let's say, Tokyo. You will go find Yuki and tell her EVERYTHING you ever wanted her to know, then ask her to come with you. You already told us that you've been miserable your whole life, well now, this is your chance, I guess your _last_ chance, to make it right. if you're lucky enough, she might gladly take you back"

Ryousuke's stunned face blinked at him.

"one more thing, you also told us that you feel weak and helpless. You alone can help yourself at this, I will only suggest. Think of Yuki, the happy times you were with her and make this your strength. Who knows, your memories of her might become reality…forever"

Ryousuke remained stunned

"In short, go after her, Aniki! go after her and ask her back!" Keisuke said

His brother let the words sink in him.

"I…I have to go…" he said as he stood up and turned to leave

"yes, go do it, Ryousuke" Takumi said

Ryousuke turned to both of them "Thank you" he said sincerely "thank you for making me realize and for also knocking some sense in me" and with this, he gave them both a brotherly hug.

He parted after a few moments and ran out of his room. Takumi and Keisuke followed him, to see him picking up his car keys "I'll be back, _we'll_ be back later" he nodded and went out of the door.

The FC's engine started and revved then zoomed off. Keisuke and Takumi both gave out a long sigh

"you gave him some really good advice, Fujiwara. I'm impressed" Keisuke said, going down the stairs

"even so, it was hard" Takumi said ,following Keisuke

"well, all we can to do now is wait. You want some coffee?" he suddenly asked

"coffee? Sure…" Takumi answered. Then he smiled

"what now? Keisuke asked

"coffee…" said Takumi, grinning

Keisuke got the hint before the both of them started laughing silently.


	18. never again will I let you go

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 18 –Never again will I let you go

'_go after her, Aniki! go after her and ask her back!' _

'yes, I must go and ask her back' Ryousuke thought as he drove his fastest ever speed towards Tokyo. The people who saw him passing by merely saw a white blur. Many people who knew him and his reputation muttered 'the white comet of Akagi is really fast' but Ryousuke didn't care about his reputation now. The only thing on his brain was Yuki, and how to take her back. He passed by the restaurant 'Family's' where most of the team members hanged out after practices. Since they were sitting by the window, most of them noticed the white blur.

"who the heck was that?" Shingo asked

"I think I know who it was" Kenta said as he got his walkie-talkie and called through it "Keisuke? Its me, Kenta"

"Kenta? What now?" Keisuke's voice answered

"Where's your Aniki?"

It took a few moments till Keisuke answered in a half amused tone

"my Aniki is not here at the moment. He's headed for Tokyo to get Yuki-chan back"

The team gasped as they heard what Keisuke just mentioned

"as I thought so……we saw him and he was driving his fastest ever"

"good for him, this is another chance for him to never make the same mistake as he did before"

"alright"

"better look forward to tomorrow, guys. I think there's a surprise waiting for the whole team" Keisuke then concluded "bye!"

Wataru said "a surprise??"

"I wonder what it is?" Mako said

'I have a tiny hunch on what it is' Nakazato thought as he sipped his coffee.

---

Ryousuke finally made it to his destination. He parked by a nearby tree and looked to his left. A lake situated Yuki's house. Lampposts were on either sides of the house and it had a 1-car garage. There he saw Yuki, wiping an ice-blue civic SIR dry.

"There she is, Ryousuke. Go for it" Ryousuke told himself

Yuki saw the White FC parked beside the tree and muttered "Ryousuke-san?"

At that same moment, the man inside the FC stepped out casually and shut his door. He looked at Yuki, who had a surprised looked upon her face. He approached her slowly, staring down at the floor beneath him while she wringed dries the rag on her hand.

"Ryousuke-san? What're you doing here?" Yuki said as she shook a hand dry.

Ryousuke lifted his head to look at her and smiled.

"I'm here to take you back"

Yuki just looked at him, puzzled.

"let me explain………you see, ever since college, I've been nice to you. It was because you're different from all the other girls in school. You were simple and quiet yet you were as smart as I am."

He paused and took in some air

"I had a liking for you, Yuki-chan. I saw you, as a completely different girl on whom I then believed was rare. All the others were crazy about me, yet you remained your composure unlike them."

He smiled inwardly then looked at her

"you must be now wondering what this is all about. As I said earlier, I'm here to take you back. Never again will I make the same mistake as I did when we were still in college. I lived my life, regretting that I let you slip through my grasp. Without you, my life was incomplete. But when I'm around you, it completes itself and I feel…alive. That's why I'm here right now. I'm here to tell you something I never told you long before "

He took a step forward to Yuki

"I love you. Yuki-chan"

An astonished face replaced Yuki's puzzled look and she dropped the rag in her hand in shock

"please, come and stay with me" Ryousuke pleaded

The evening breeze swept across them, calming both of them.

Yuki turned her back at him and started walking

Ryousuke looked away in utter disappointment

Then Yuki stopped and said,

"wait here while I go pack my stuff and bid my parents goodbye"

He looked up and said "…you mean?" and she glanced at him

"yeah sure, I'll stay with you" and she smiled sweetly at him.

He took swift steps towards her and hugged her. She did the same.

"Thank you, Yuki-chan" he muttered to her

"it's no problem Ryousuke, for I…also love you…" and she hugged him tightly.

He pulled away from her and locked their gazes together. Then he leaned closer and closer, till their lips were a mere centimeter apart. He motioned his head much closer until their lips finally met. They kissed each other lovingly. The very first kiss given by Takahashi Ryousuke was bestowed upon Kazama Yuki. Two distinct racers, sharing a lot in common, and above all, they loved each other equally.

"I'll just be waiting here, Yuki-chan" Ryousuke said when they pulled away

Yuki nodded at him and went inside. In a few minutes time, Yuki emerged, followed by her parents who were smiling and waving goodbye at her. She approached her car and started the engine. Looking out of her window, she called to Ryousuke, "c'mon, let's go! Lead the way, Ryousuke-kun!"

"alright" Ryousuke said as he went inside his FC with a smile plastered on his face. He approached Akagi with Yuki-chan following him.

'I can never be happier than this' Ryousuke thought as he drove off.


	19. Interlude

Initial D- I'm stronger and faster now 

Chapter 19 –Interlude

Keisuke awoke the next morning with the sun shining on his face. He remembered yesterday's events so he stood up and approached his brother's room. He opened the door and peeked inside. There he saw his brother sleeping peacefully with a smile upon his face, for Yuki was beside him, also sleeping with a sweet smile. His hand lay abandoned on her hair. 'He must've caressed her hair until he fell asleep.' He thought as he gently closed the door and quietly went back to his room for his usual morning shower.

Practices that day went on as usual. During Ryousuke's usual lecture, Takumi motioned towards Keisuke and said

"so, what happened?"

"well…this morning, I peeked into his room and saw his 'strength', as you said yesterday, sleeping beside him. They both had a smile on their face"

"mission accomplished, then?"

"yes" Keisuke nodded

"where is she?" Takumi asked

"oh…she'll be here, maybe later"

"alright then" Takumi concluded

At the end, Ryousuke noted that Takumi, Mako, Sayuki, Wataru and Kazumi finally got their team stickers. Takumi was now officially part of the 'Akina speed stars' and Mako and Sayuki had 'Impact blue' for their team sticker while Wataru and Kazumi had 'snow blur'. Most of the team looked at them oddly when they caught sight of their sticker.

"um…I couldn't think of anything else!" Wataru said

"right…" the whole team said.

"alright. Anyway, I already have here the new team stickers." Ryousuke said, waving a bunch of stickers in front of the team. "you're to stick them here" he said, pointing to his own sticker, which was stuck in the middle of the glass located at his back of his car, a few inches above the bottom. "so………here" he concluded, passing out the stickers. Takumi read out what the sticker said

The Kengai

Racing team

"uh…why do I have two?" Shingo asked

"that…it's because we have one more additional member, though I haven't recruited her…yet" he said, taking the sticker out of Shingo's hand

The team looked at him puzzled

"Keisuke…" Takumi started

"shut up, Fujiwara. You'll see." Keisuke said

Ryousuke smiled and got the walkie-talkie that was hanging on his belt. Most of the team looked horrified, they didn't notice Ryousuke owning one. Wataru approached Keisuke, saying "your brother has a walkie-talkie?"

"don't worry, he just got that today"

The team sighed in relief.

Ryousuke called to his walkie-talkie "alright, you can come up now"

Almost at once, the sound of tires screeching and an unfamiliar engine started climbing up the mountain.

'Yuki-chan's car is a civic SIR…we call it EK here in Japan' then he smiled inwardly 'another civic…Shingo might get interested'

He smiled broadly when he saw the reaction of his team members upon seeing the ice blue SIR. The driver braked in front of the whole team and remained inside. Ryousuke went to the driver's side and the driver rolled down her window.

"it's okay, come out now" Ryousuke said

"okay"

He stepped back to give way for her to open her door and step out. When she got out, she closed her door and went to stand by Ryousuke. She smiled sweetly at the team.

"May I introduce our newest member…" and he smiled at Yuki, whose face lit up. "…Kazama Yuki A.K.A blue ice of Tokyo"

'My hunch was correct' Nakazato thought cheerfully

"Yuki-chan, meet the team. You already know Keisuke and Takumi…"who nodded at her. "but you don't know the rest…that's Kenta, Shingo, Wataru and Nakazato" he pointed at each, who all bowed before her in admiration and respect. They all knew her reputation as a street racer.

"and these are the girls: Mako, Sayuki and Kazumi" he continued on, still pointing at each. They beamed at her. She smiled back.

"Yuki here will be officially on the team as of now" Ryousuke said, as he handed to Yuki the sticker.

"uh…"

"that's your team sticker"

"a sticker already?" Yuki said in disbelief

"yeah"

"so, where do I stick this?" Yuki asked

"at the back. Come" Ryousuke said as he got her hand and pulled her to the back of her car. The team motioned forward; they also wanted to see the car in close-up.

They examined her car in amazement for they have never seen a car like this. It currently held one sticker, which was stuck on the left side of the back window. It was placed exactly where the night kids' sticker was and each of them read what the sticker said, in a color similar to the car's:

Blue ice

"uh…I bought this car in America when I stayed there for a while and I just love the color" Yuki explained, seeing the look on her team member's faces. "I had it shipped here afterwards"

"when and where did you start racing then?" Keisuke asked

"hmmm…perhaps 4 years ago? That's about the time I also got this car…" Yuki answered "and I started racing in my home town in Tokyo, I raced on the street then recently, I tried to race on the mountain there"

"so you can also race on a mountain?" Wataru asked

"yes, a little…I quickly adapted the feel when your driving on a mountain pass"

"how do you find Myogi? _This_ mountain pass" Nakazato supplied, seeing her puzzled look.

"oh…it was a little bit similar to the normal street, The slopes were gentle and the curves weren't that sharp…" she said smiling sweetly at them.

"would you care to show us your driving, Yuki-chan?" Ryousuke interrupted

Yuki looked at them shyly.

"guys, who wants to see THE blue ice tackle Myogi? Please raise your hands"

All of them raised their hands

"that's 10 to 1 Yuki. Majority wins…." Ryousuke said, smiling at Yuki

"ah…alright then. I'm a bit excited also to tackle this mountain anyway. Let's go then!"

"YES!" the team exclaimed

The team motioned towards their respective cars. Yuki however, approached Ryousuke

"Thank you, Ryousuke-kun"

"I should be the one to thank you, Yuki. You've completed my life once more and it will remain complete as long as you're by my side. I will not allow anything bad to happen to my Yuki-chan…because of you, I'm stronger and faster now"

He smiled at her.

She looked at him straight into the eyes.

Then, it was Yuki who reacted first.

She bent forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her lithe frame and tilted his head a bit to deepen the kiss.

Meanwhile, inside each of the member's cars, their walkie-talkie sounded. It was Kenta.

"team alert! Team alert! P.D.A, P.D.A at 12 o'clock!"

"P.D.A?" Takumi said, puzzled

"Public Display of Affection, Takumi!" Keisuke supplied

"twelve o'clock?" Shingo asked through his own walkie-talkie.

"look straight ahead!" Kenta said.

So they all did and all of them smiled.

"he really loves her, does he?" Wataru asked

"of course he does! Look at them!" Mako said

"don't they look cute?" Sayuki commented

"yes. Real cute" Kazumi said

"so we're the happy audience, are we?" Nakazato said dryly

Outside, Yuki took notice of the team

"uh…Ryousuke-kun, we have an audience, a pretty large one" so she pulled away gently and looked at the cars by their side. She blushed at the sight of them

"okay then" Ryousuke said, letting her go

"anyway, what do you say if I show them how fast I can be?"

"you lead, then"

"alright"

So Yuki went in her car and started the engine. Ryousuke went in front of the team. The team, in return, rolled down their windows.

"so, Yuki leads. Anyone can follow her. I'll stay at the back."

The team nodded at him.

"you enjoyed the little show?" Ryousuke said with a smirk

The team appeared stunned.

"we're sorry, Ryousuke" the team said apologetically

"it's alright. It happens" Ryousuke said with a grin.

The team grinned back

"hey" Yuki interrupted "are you guys done there? I wanna go now!"

"okay" Ryousuke answered as he rushed to his FC and started the engine. The others did the same and soon, they were drifting down Myogi, headed by their newest member, blue ice herself.

'I love you so, Yuki. I have made you my strength. Because of you, I'm stronger and faster now' Ryousuke thought as he zoomed after the team at his top speed ever.

-fin-

**author's notes:** yes!!!! Finally it's finished!!! but don't worry!! There's a continuation to this!!! I haven't finished it, though….thanks a lot for reading my story! Hope you enjoyed!!! Oh, and I'm sorry if my writing sucks…I'm an amateur in writing these kinds of fics…anyway, just wait till I finish the continuing story. Title is: 'Let me protect you' ciao!!!!! :)


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